Words of the Philosopher
by scissorsisters
Summary: Words are weapons. Words can harm, heal, and persuade even the most stubborn opinions. Zeno is an anonymous phamphlet writer, but no one knows who he, or she, is. Eren Jaeger meets the mysterious and cold Nina Banis, who knows more about this philosopher than she lets on. ErenxOC
1. Chapter 1

_Welcome! This story was written by me, Ailey, and edited by Sela. _

He was swimming in a sea of words. Black calligraphy twisted around him, flowing through his fingers. Every word he touched brought memories to his mind.

As the word "mom" slipped in the crevices of his interspaces, he was hit with flashes of emotion: love, sadness, and anger. The pain was more noticeable though. His heart clenched, his stomach rolled, and his head throbbed.

"Eren…" a voice called, momentarily bringing him out of the hell that was his pain. "Eren…" it called again. The voice was obviously female, melodic, but had coldness laced in like frost.

"Eren." The voice sounded again, more urgent this time.

Just as he was about to call out, the voice changed. "Oi, Eren, wake up you shitty brat."

Eren Jaeger jolted awake and nearly fell out of bed due to the linens twisted around his body.

Lance Corporal Levi surveyed the mussed bed sheets and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Bad dream?"

"No, I don't think. Just confusing, sir." But Before Levi could open his mouth to respond, Eren interrupted. "Sir, I hope you don't mind me asking, but has anyone else come in?"

"No, Jaeger." Levi gazed levelly at the teen. "Why would that be?"

"Ah…um…well…no…uh…sorry, sir, I must have just dreamed up something" Eren stammered.

"Well, get dressed; Training is in fifteen minutes."

Eren rushed about his "room", throwing on a clean uniform and strapping on his 3DMG. He was late as is, so breakfast and his hair didn't get priority.

So with mussed hair and an empty stomach, the titan-shifter ran through the castle, praying that he wasn't going to be reprimanded for his tardiness. When he reached the courtyard, the crisp fall air greeted him along with a tornado of pine needles from nearby trees. They brushed his cheeks, and for a moment he thought of the vast sea of words.

"Eren!" Petra, the kindest of the Special Ops Squad, waved him over. "Hey, Eren, do you remember the technique I showed you a few days ago?"

"Yes ma'am."

Petra's warm smile was quickly replaced with a malicious grin. "Good. We're doing drills until you perfect this technique." The amiable smile quickly returned. "As soon as you finish, you can go with the other recruits into town. Someone finally convinced Erwin to give the legion a day off. **Just make sure you are with someone** **at all times****.**"

Eren visibly brightenedat the prospect of going into town with his friends. His placement with the Special Ops Squad had prevented him from visiting, and when he did see them, one minute, rushed conversations took place before either side was swept away by a superior officer.

Petra cleared her throat, regaining the teen's attention. "Now go and give me three sets. If you mess up we'll be here all day."

Eren sighed. It was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2: A Familiar Voice?

_A/N I forgot disclaimer! I, Ailey, ½ of the scissorsisters, do not own Attack on Titan! That belongs to the wonderful Isayama-sama, who likes to take my heart and smash it repeatedly. _Up against a tree. _Shut up. Sorry if you wanted Chap.2 sooner. But I hope you enjoy! _

Five mishaps later, Eren had mastered the skill. The sun was dipping into the horizon by the time he had finished. Petra laughed and told Eren to clean up and get the sweat off of him. "Can't have Levi fainting at the sight of you." She joked.

Once he had taken a quick, cold shower, Eren raced out just in time to see Mikasa and Armin start walking down the dirt road into town.

"Hey!" Eren shouted.

Both soldiers turned and smiled. The ebony haired girl extended her arms to the damp brunet, obviously happy he was able to come.

"Are you okay? Did Hanji perform any inappropriate experiments on you? Is the shorty working you too hard?" she asked worriedly.

"No, Mikasa, nothing like that." Eren said shortly, waving away her barrage of questions. "Just training."

Before Mikasa could ask what type of training he did, Armin interrupted, sensing an "Oh-my-God-Mikasa-you're-not-my-mom argument". "Hey, Jean's coming our way."

Everyone turned to look where Armin had motioned, and sure enough, Jean was walking their way.

Jean nodded at Eren. "Jaeger."

"Horseface." Eren retorted. The boys had settled on unspoken terms to not argue, well, not argue as much as they could anyways.

After five minutes of polite talk and the slight comment from either of the boys that elicited a raised eyebrow or a rolled eye, conversation had dwindled. Yes, they were friends that had not seen each other in quite some time, but with the current predicament, conversation was becoming rather awkward.

Jean looked at the trio. "Have you heard of Zeno, the anonymous philosopher? Apparently he's writing pamphlets about the titan war and the government controlling us. He's got the entire middle and lower class community riled up and the Military Police hunting him down. Zeno lives in Trost, where we are heading tonight."

Armin shook his head, mystified. "I've never heard of him. Do you-?"

Jean cut him off. "I knew you would want one, Armin." Jean said, rummaging through his pockets for a folded up piece of paper. He handed it to Armin. "He actually makes a pretty damn good point if you ask me. The MPs would have my head if they heard I said that though. Anyone who supports Zeno is looking at jail time, as said by an official government order from the king."

Armin immediately opened the pamphlet and began reading, and by the time they arrived at the town, he had finished. "He…He's brilliant! Zeno thinks we are only as emotionally weak as we allow ourselves to be-"

Jean snorted and shot a pointed look at Eren, who returned his leer with a glare.

"-He also says that the King should take better care of the commons, for they are most at risk from the titan and not only that, but disease, starvation, and dehydration!"

Eren laughed. "Armin, you're gonna make my ears fall off. Can we please not worry about politics?"

Armin blushed and nodded. "Well, it kind of is important, but I guess we just need to relax today."

"Let's go in there; it looks like it should have good food. Maybe some chicks." Jean pointed up ahead to a rugged building with warm light shining from the windows. Despite the dirt and grime, it looked cozy and welcoming, which was something the group hadn't seen in awhile.

They walked into a small tavern and noticed that most of their friends were there. Exchanging waves and smiles, the soldiers observed the pub for an open table. Connie and Sasha were eating plates among plates of food, and every so often a plump, round-faced woman would bring them more. Ymir and Christa had the table to the left of them, and when they spotted the group, they patted the empty seats next to them.

Eren slid down opposite of Ymir, and Mikasa went after him. Armin sat next the Christa and Jean sat at the end.

"So…what's the record for Sasha?" Eren said, glancing over at the girl stuffing her face with unidentifiable foods.

Ymir sighed. "She's gone through twenty potatoes in the past five minutes.

"Jesus Christ." Jean mumbled.

The round woman took notice of them. "My niece will be here soon. She can take your orders and get your food."

Just as the woman left, the door opened and let the cold air blow through the small, warm room. And in stepped the most beautiful girl Eren had ever seen.

She had chocolate brown hair, much like his, woven into a side braid down the front of her body to her tiny waist. Her eyes were a peculiar blue with gold streaks, and a slim taupe ring around the pupil. The girl's clothes were humble and a tad masculine: a soft blue top with grey pants and laced hunter's boots. Despite her modest attire, Eren felt like he should be shielding his eyes. Her bitter elegance was just overwhelming.

As her multicolored eyes surveyed the room, her eyes rested on Eren and she scanned him up and down. He felt his cheeks heat up under her icy gaze.

_Oh my God she's looking at me why is she looking at me oh my God._

The girl walked into the kitchen and came out immediately with a worn apron fastened around her petite figure. She made her way to the table. "How may I help you?"

It was the same voice from his dream.


	3. Chapter 3: The Girl with Bloody Knuckles

_Ailey here! Sorry for the cliffy last chapter. I'll try to update on Thursdays or, Fridays. I don't own Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin. If I did, well, *evil laugh* _Well then. Ahem. **On with the fic!**

Eren stared in shock at the girl. She took no notice to him, though; due to the fact she was too busy taking Jean's order. ("A glass of bourbon" "You're a minor, yes I know you're a soldier, it's probably too strong for you, no, you will get drunk, and I'm a minor, so I can't even serve it anyways." "Dammit")

The girl slid her eyes to Eren. "Stop ogling me and order,"

Eren slipped out of his trance. "Oh...um...I'll share with Mikasa."

Mikasa smiled at Eren, then death-glared at the girl. Since Eren had no idea what was going on, he glanced at Ymir for help.

_Jealousy _she mouthed.

Mikasa caught Ymir "Am not…" she muttered.

The girl sighed. "Is that all?"

Eren smiled at her, trying to show some form of recognition. "Yeah, thanks."

Her cold façade broke for a millisecond when she glanced at him. As soon as the tenderness came, it left, and the coldness was back. "You're welcome."

The meal followed a few minutes after her departure. Hot food was piled up on plates, and it made Eren's mouth water at the sight of it. Just as she set down the last plate with a _clink_, two Military Police men walked in.

"Shit!" the girl hissed. Ducking under the table, she quickly brushed out her braid, leaving soft waves down her back. When she popped up, she had a big smile on her face, which quite frankly scared the group of teenagers.

Still smiling, she skipped over to the men. "How may I help you sir?"

The man regarded the girl. "We are looking for a criminal. Tall, has bloody knuckles and hair in a braid."

Eren's eyes widened. The girl was a criminal? No wonder she rushed in so quickly.

Her face soured. "Oh no sir, we don't keep that kind 'round here. All of the criminal activity is about three alleys down. That's where the dealing and fights go on."

"And how would you know that?" One of them asked sharply.

"Why, I hear some fine gossip down by the fountain: this person beat that person, this person lost real bad, that person died, the lot."

The men relaxed. "Damn criminals. You think we'd get a break from those dirty bastards."

The girl nodded sympathetically. "Of course. You poor things must be exhausted from chasing those people down. Thank God we have y'all to keep us safe."

The entire tavern was sniggering, and Eren caught a few mutters of "Oh, yes, thank the MPs for keeping us safe and sound!" Eren stared at the Military Police men in disbelief. Were they actually buying this?"

Apparently so, because the taller man puffed out his chest and responded with a smug grin, "Of course. Best branch there is. Can't have civilians gettin hurt."

The girl smiled wistfully. "I'm dreadfully sorry, but I need to get back to my customers. Have a nice evening and stop by if ya need a drink."

After winking to the men and ushering them out, she turned back to the table and sighed. "Thanks for not ratting me out."

Armin glanced at the table and stuttered out, "W-what did you do to get the MPs after you?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "They were kicking at a little kid. Couldn't be more than five years old. So I punched both of them in the nose, and I'm pretty sure I broke their wrists too after they tried to fight back."

"Defender of the weak, then?" Mikasa piped up.

"No, I just don't like unfair fights. A five year old, most likely an orphan, against two grown men with their families fed and well in their warm homes within the inner walls." She shook her head. "Disgusting."

Eren stared at the girl in amazement. She stood up to the Military Police (something most people are afraid to do), broke a few of their bones, and _got away with it._

"What is your-"He asked.

"Nina Banis." She interrupted. "And you?"

Jean smirked and tried in vain to look as good as possible. "Jean Kirschtein."

Ymir snorted and rolled her eyes. "Ymir. Don't ask for my last name."

"Christa Renz!" The blonde offered with a smile.

"Armin Arlert."

"Mikasa Ackerman."

"And you?" Nina gazed at Eren.

"Eren Jaeger." He whispered.

Nina's eyes widened, showing off the odd color combination. "_The_ Eren Jaeger?"

He nodded, unsure of what he should do.

She leaned into the table and whispered, "I heard Zeno is going to release his thoughts on you. I think the odds of him being on your side are pretty good. He's rational, so his opinion should sway the public's thoughts."

"And you didn't hear it from me!" Nina added on with a hiss. She flew to the next table, ignoring the confused stares from the soldiers.

"Why would people not want to mention Zeno? If you just converse quietly, the MPs can't hunt you down." Eren pondered.

Armin and Ymir exchanged a look.

Ymir scoffed. "Because he's questioning the King. The last thing we need is a rebellion inside the walls with all of those titans outside."

"Anyway, how did that girl know what he was going to publish next?" Jean yawned. "Whatever. Who cares about that, she was _hot_."

Mikasa immediately looked at Eren in fear he was going to agree. But he was far into his own thoughts to be bothered with Jean's "hot chick" matters.

"Eren…?"

"Hm?" Eren snapped out of his daze. "Oh, I, uh, thought I recognized her."

Jean smirked. "Really? You…know a hot girl?

Eren flushed red. "N-no, no, nothing like that. Her voice just sounded familiar…"

Connie looked up from his plates. "Well, she is an amazing cook. She gave me an apple cobbler she made herself. Just the right amount of cinnamon." He looked at Christa. "If I marry her, do I get cobbler every day?"

Christa giggled. "Course not silly."

"But-"

Armin stood up. "Everyone's finished. Let's go look around while it's still light out."

One by one the group stood up. Eren was the last, turquoise eyes trained on the kitchen door to see if Nina would come out again. She didn't.


	4. Chapter 4: Zeno's Words

_¡Hola, mis amigos! Yay, on time! I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin and if I did it wouldn't be as awesome. _

Words of the Philosopher Chap. 4: Zeno's Words

Over the course of the next few days, Eren was inattentive and plagued by thoughts of the mysterious Nina. She was cold, yet kind to-_oof!_

Levi had kicked him in the stomach. "Oi, brat, pay attention."

Eren rubbed his head. "Y-Yes sir"

Levi leaned over to Petra. "Did you work him too hard when you trained him three days ago?"

Petra stifled a giggle. As smart as Levi was, he was completely clueless when it came to the odd behavior displayed by the titan shifter. "No, but…I think I know why Eren isn't paying as much attention as he has before."

"Oh? Why would that be?" Levi asked flatly.

She grinned and whispered, "I think he met someone in town the other day."

"Goddammit. The last thing we need is a lovesick fifteen meter titan on our lines." The Corporal groaned.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Hanji popped up behind the two. "Eren's met someone? Heh heh, this will make very good data. I wonder how it will affect his titan form…" She rubbed her hands together and ran off to make hypotheses.

* * *

"HEY JAEGER, WAIT UP!" A voice called out.

Eren turned around and saw Jean rushing towards him with a slip of paper in his hand. _That must be the new pamphlet Zeno wrote. _

Jean thrust the paper at him. "That chick was right-"

"Nina," Eren mumbled under his breath.

Jean waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah. But she was right. Zeno is on your side."

Eren grabbed the wrinkled sheet of paper from Jean's hand in disbelief. "What?"

_The Titan Shifter Case- Zeno_

_Do not hear the word "shifter" and be drowned in fear, but be elated. The shifter is a bright flicker of hope in this vast void of despair._

_Why do we, as humans, cast out one of our own? He has a beating heart, breathing lungs, and a working mind. 'Tis not his fault for being given a unique gift that no known person possess. At the trial, he confirmed that his father, Doctor Grisha Jaeger, shot something into him that made him a titan shifter._

_Eren Jaeger is not, like the Military Police claim, irresponsible, violent, and evil. He, in recent meetings (I dare say not when and where in fear of being exposed), is impulsive and quite loud, but incredibly kind. And if I may quote a favorite author of mine, "Quick to forgive and quick to ignite."_

_There is the point_ of_ his self control, however. According to witnesses, Eren Jaeger attacked his adoptive sister, Mikasa Ackerman, in his titan form. Contrary to popular belief, I believe it is not his fault._

_Deep inside of my heart, I see a titan: despair, destruction, and anger. This titan is inside all of us. Eren Jaeger must accept that part of him to shift. His anger, frustration, and sadness were too much, and that resulted in his lack of control._

_Now, before you think you have seen worse than him, listen what he has been through. He murdered two grown men when he was nine years old to protect himself and save Mikasa Ackerman. 'Tis a heavy sin that one does not forget. He has seen the fall of Wall Maria. During the fall, his home was crushed by a boulder, trapping his mother underneath. Unable to save her, he was forced to watch as a titan ate Carla Jaeger. He was only ten years of age._ _Let us not forget to mention this was the year his father experimented on him. He has also seen the horror that took place in Trost. At the Battle of Trost, his left leg was bitten off and despite his injuries, he was able to save_ _a friendfrom being eaten. Consequently, it was him that ended up in the titan's stomach. He has much sadness in his heart._

_Before, I said that emotions are simple flaws in a person's reason. This is a perfect example. He has seen too much, he knows too much, and he is too much. Existing cripples him. So do not cast him from you, but pity him. _

_There is one thing I must say before I rest my pen: every hero has a fatal flaw and a sad end. Jaeger had many flaws- his impulsivity, his quickness to anger, and his loyalty. But these make him more human than a newborn babe._

_And undoubtedly, he will have a sad fate, as many great do._

_The Common's servant, ear, and mouth,_

_Zeno_

Eren stared at the paper in disbelief. Zeno really took his side. And he explained it better than Eren ever could. He felt anger, frustration, and fear in his titan form. He just assumed it was battle jitters. _Zeno has played a risky move_, he thought, _comparing the innermost soul to a titan. But how the fucking hell did he know about mom and my house? _

Jean stared at him. "So…did he-?"

"Spot on." Eren spat. He had no idea, though, why he needed to be pitied.

"Because those are some pretty scarring things, dumbass."

Eren hadn't realized he was speaking out loud. "I…uh…gotta go to training with the squad. See ya later horseface!" He then rushed off to meet with Levi's squad, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

Everywhere he went, he couldn't escape the eyes. Some pitied, some understood, some held a mix of awe and admiration, but others still held a look of fear.

_Well_,Eren thought bitterly, _Zeno can't solve everything._

When he reached the training field, Eren received mixed reactions. Günter and Erd nodded at Eren. Oluo regarded him without prejudice (which was a first), Petra smiled, and for a moment she had the same look his own mother had many years ago when he broke his nose. Levi scowled, but he was missing his usual annoyance.

Eren sighed. "You read it, didn't you?"

"Eren…" Petra whispered. "We did, and…"

"No pity, please. Just ignore that entire paragraph-OW!"

Levi had slapped him. "They're being nice. Accept it and move on, brat. We have to go over some things for the expedition tomorrow."

_Oh! The expedition! _Eren thought eagerly. In hi opinion, he has spent too many years cowering behind walls.

"Now…"

And of course, they had to go over the strategy. Again. Eren allowed half of his mind to wander to Nina. How exactly did she know about Zeno and his writings?

Petra poked him from behind. "Pay attention. Fully." She added on with a small giggle, "And try to keep your thoughts away from that girl of yours."

Eren flushed red and diverted his attention to the board at the front of the room where Levi was explaining the formation, again, and telling how many smoke rounds they should carry, again, and how Eren must not turn into a titan, _again,_ for the hundredth time. This was going to be a long evening.


	5. Chapter 5: Cruelty of the Soft-hearted

_Haha oops I lied about updating often...please don't kill me. I'm having a lack of creativity lately (I blame society) Any ideas? Requests? (Sela and I write all sorts of stuff. Doesn't have to be Attack on Titan)_ Except yaoi or yuri that shit's disgusting. _Sela watch your f***ing mouth. Any way, much thanks to Boxenofdonuts as my beta she's awesome check her out. (She's my FF guardian) _**Enjoy!**

Mutters and cheers resounded as the Scouting Legion stopped in front if the Wall Rose gates. The public was informed of a relay-like system formation that would supposedly get them further. Most people doubted it.

Eren glanced around, searching specifically for certain brunette hair woven into a braid. _Not her, not her, not her-ah! There she is!_

The male had finally spotted Nina in front of the alleyway, closest to the gates. What surprised Eren, though, was the fact that she had two children with her: a small, blond boy on top of her shoulders, and a skinny raven-haired girl clutching her hand. Eren had caught Nina's attention with a small wave, and she returned it with a mere arch of her brow.

"Imma join the Scouting Legion and kill the titans to save Miss Nina!" a young, boyish voice called out.

Nina glanced up at the boy perched on her shoulders, expression half irritation, and half in worry. "Now don't be making stupid promises like that. Don't risk your life if you're not sure enough. The brave men in the Legion are going to kill the titans for you. All you can do now at your age is cheer them on. Now hush." She scolded.

"Oi. Bitch."

Nina and Eren (who was listening to their conversation) looked to the alley to find two men. The first man was disgustingly lanky and gave off the appearance of a rat. The second man was rather plump, but his sneer was enough to make any normal passerby steer clear.

"Your father still owes us money. Either pay up, or we could, ah, do this another way."

Now a good portion of the Corps was watching with interest. Eren knew that they really didn't care that if Nina was attacked. They would most likely stay on their horses and wait for someone to stop the men while they watched, unmoving.. Eren caught the eyes of the same group that was with him that night he met her: Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Krista, Connie, Ymir, and Sasha. In turn, their eyes sparkled with immediate recognition.

Mikasa made full eye contact with Eren. He read her expression as, '_Do not interfere. I don't care if she's in trouble, she can fight on her own.'_

Eren thought back to Nina's bloody knuckles and the Military Police chasing her down to the small tavern. He shrugged his shoulders in response. '_I know. (And I don't really care.)'_

He turned his attention back to the alley. Nina was standing tall with the young children who were now clutching her skirts, and, in the case of the boy, her hair. She picked the blond child off of her shoulders and set him on the ground, completely ignoring the men.

"Hey, don't turn your-"

"Elsie, take Alexander and get out of here. Tell my aunt I might have to be on the run. Again."

It took all of Eren's will power to not laugh. _Again? How many times has she picked fights?_

Nina whipped back to face the ruffians. She was standing carelessly, as if the thugs didn't just slide into fighting stances.

"Oh, what was it that you were saying? I could either pay off a massive gambling debt that my useless dead father didn't pay, or I could whore around with the likes of you to pay it off. Hmm, decisions, decisions. Oh! I know! _Neither." _Which followed with incredulous laughter.

"Why you little-"

He started, but the round man didn't even get to finish his sentence. Nina had rushed him, shoving a fist deep into his rotund belly. Her sheer force alone made him cough up blood. The goon was now lying, unmoving and unresponsive, in the alleyway.

The rat man pulled out a crude looking knife and was now rushing towards her. Nina's senses were much sharper than the dull object, though. She deflected the knife, hitting his hands with her right, consequently grazing the man's cheek. Nina's left hand hit his stomach, but not in a fist. She swung the bandit over her head. By now Corporal Levi was off his horse.

_He hates senseless violence. Nina should stop now, right?_ Eren thought.

Nina didn't stop. She crouched down by the rat man, now holding his knife. She traced patterns into his ear with the slightly blunt yet sharp object, making him whimper in pain.

"Now," Nina hissed into the bloody ear, "_beg_ for mercy, apologize and guarantee you and your idiot accomplices will never bother me or my family." She pressed the blade against his throat. Nina giggled. "Or you know what will happen, don't you?"

"P-p-please stop, we're so sorry, we won't come after you again!"

Eren's body jumped off his horse without his volition. _Shit. Levi's is going to kill me for not staying on my horse. But Nina is going to kill this guy, and at the least seriously hurt him._

"Oi, brat."

Nina stood and turned to face Levi. She had a small, but obviously cruel grin on her face. _She had enjoyed the fight and had enjoyed torturing that man. _Completely disrespecting Levi, she leaned against the wall lazily. "Hello, Corporal. Here to take these filthy thugs away?"

"I could have you arrested, you know. Turn you in, and let you rot." Levi's voice was quiet, quieter than usual. Quiet means dangerous.

"Oh? Hmph, see if I care. At least in prison they are required to feed you mush at least once a day."

"But then who would take care of those children you were looking after? I know your type. Fairly well fed family. You get by and actually have a few table scraps. So your 'soft heart' inspires you to give them to the orphans on the streets with nothing to eat. What would happen if you were arrested?"

Nina was now giving her full attention to Levi. She shifted her body off the wall, tensing every single muscle, preparing for a fight.

Eren had to do something. Nina was good, but Levi was way better. "Heichou! I, uh, know her! Please, sir, she, uh, wasn't doing it for the sake of a fight. It was completely self defense, sir; I'm sure the courts would understand she has a right to protect herself."

Levi raised an eyebrow. Who was this girl, who could make Eren stand up to him, even though he was terrified of him? Levi turned to Nina with an indifferent expression.

"I'll pardon it. This time. Get on your goddamn horse, Jaeger."

"Yessir!"

Levi turned and walked back to his midnight steed. Eren followed after him, but was stopped by a cold hand grasping his warm one.

Nina avoided looking at him. "Be careful. Don't be a hot-headed idiot like you usually are." She swiftly planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, and without looking back, sprinted down the alleyway.

"_Jaeger stop standing there like a love struck schoolgirl and get on your fucking horse."_

"Yes, Corporal!"


End file.
